University of Delaware Senior Lindsay Prettyman Selected to CoSIDA District 2 All-Academic Track & Field Team

By Delaware Athletics

Jun 2, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- University of Delaware senior Lindsay Prettyman earned yet another impressive honor Monday when she was named to the Capital One/College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Division I Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field District 2 All-Academic team.

Prettyman, who capped an outstanding career by competing at the NCAA East Regional Track & Field Championships this past Thursday, earned her degree with honors at UD’s Commencement exercises on Saturday.

A native of Newark, Del. (St. Mark’s High School), Prettyman earned CoSIDA All-District honors for the second straight year and is now eligible for CoSIDA Academic All-American honors which will be announced later this month.

“Being selected to this team means so much to me because it really shows how much hard work I put in both on and off the track,” said Prettyman. “This is a great ending to my career at Delaware.”

To be eligible for the award, student-athletes must carry a 3.3 or better grade point average and be a starter or key reserve. Candidates also must complete at least one full academic year at the nominating institution and have at least sophomore eligibility. The teams are selected by a vote of sports information directors. District 2 includes all NCAA Division I schools in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, and Kentucky.

An exercise science major with a 3.88 grade point average, Prettyman excelled in cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field during an outstanding career. She was named the team Most Valuable Player in all three sports this past season, was selected as the UD Alumni Association Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year, and earned the most prestigious award bestowed on a UD female student-athlete - the Mary Ann Hitchens Award - which recognizes a senior letterwinner who has exhibited outstanding qualities of hard work, dedication, leadership, fairness, and striving for excellence.

“I am so very proud of Lindsay,” said Delaware head coach Wendy McFarlane. “Words cannot express how happy I am for Lindsay’s successes in her four years here at the University of Delaware. Her contributions to the cross country and track and field programs both on and off the field have been tremendous. She has really set the stage. The main goal for any student-athlete is to get a good education and Lindsay has excelled above all odds. She is a true role model for future Blue Hens to follow.”

Whether she was racing through the woods on the cross country course, running past the competition on the indoor and outdoor track oval, or putting in long hours towards her academic endeavors, Prettyman excelled in all her pursuits at the University of Delaware. As a three-sport standout in cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field, she earned 12 letters, served as a team captain, set 10 school records, and won 29 meet titles during her remarkable tenure at UD.

As a four-year standout in cross country, she was named team Most Valuable Player three times and led the squad in 21 races, capturing three individual titles along the way. She culminated her career this past fall by becoming just the third woman in UD history and first since 1984 to compete at the NCAA Championships.

During the indoor season, Prettyman won five meet titles this past winter and earned All-East honors for the second time in her career when she finished second in the mile run at the ECAC championships in Boston. For her career, she set school records in the 800 meters, 1,000 meters, 3,000 meters, and 4 x 800 meter relay.

Prettyman was even more impressive on the outdoor track where she established school standards in the 800 meters, 1,500 meters, 5,000 meters, 4 x 800 meter relay, and the distance medley relay. In early May she led the Blue Hens to their first-ever CAA team title when she was named the meet’s Outstanding Track Performer after winning both the 800 meter and 1,500 meter competitions. Her time in the 1,500 meters set a CAA meet record. She followed that up with a ninth place finish in the 800 meters at the ECAC Eastern championships and a 38th place showing in the 1,500 meters at the NCAA East Regionals this past week.

In the classroom, Prettyman carried a near perfect 3.88 grade point average, was named to the CAA Academic Honor Roll numerous times, and is a member of the National College Athlete Honor Society. She was recently admitted into the physical therapy graduate program at Delaware.

She has also played a key role in several community services initiatives, taking part in the Pigskin Pass for Special Olympics Delaware, serving at numerous youth track & field clinics, and taking a lead role in a shoe drive that collected over 600 pairs of shoes for the More Foundation Group that provides services for Africa and other underprivileged communities around the world.